Dead Space 2 Delivers A New Era Of Eerie

Since its release, Electronic Arts'

highly anticipated survival/horror sequel, Dead Space 2, has been

. With hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of hungry fans drooling for the sequel, it isn't all that surprising that the game has been doing well at retail. But there is one question surrounding Dead Space 2's release: does it have what it takes to top the creepy scenarios of the original? As it turns out, "creepy" doesn't quite cut it when describing this sequel. As with most of the classics within the horror genre, Dead Space 2 has learned from the success of others. It uses the shadowy eeriness of Silent Hill, the grotesque beasts of Condemned, and the pop-out thrills of Resident Evil to create an atmospheric experience all its own. With only cracks of light (or, in some cases, nothing more than a flashlight) to penetrate the darkness, players are quickly transported to a fearful and claustrophobic world the developers were shooting to create. They succeeded wonderfully, both in terms of level design (which is visually familiar but physically superior to the original) and in terms of the scenes and the settings. Dead Space 2 doesn't merely drop you into survival/horror madness – it sets you free in a world that is overwhelming with horrific restrictions. You are constantly barred from moving in a particular direction, either by a physical barrier, a locked door (the classic survival/horror barrier), or the presence of a monster who's too big and too threatening to take down without first running for cover. Battles are delivered at an almost constant pace in this game, with pop-out, almost-didn't-see-it- (and some definitely-didn't-see-it-) coming moments that'll pull players deeper into the game while pushing them closer to the edges of their seats. Though you may not believe it at first, players are given a chance to fight back and make it out of the deadly environments alive. With a mix of traditional third-person shooter gameplay and BioShock-style mechanics (read: levitate objects and throw them back at – and through the fleshy bodies of – your opponents), Dead Space 2 is wholeheartedly an action-horror game. And it is within that action context that players will learn to harness the power of their weapons, their surroundings, and the enemies' weaknesses to overcome the terror that awaits them. From a visual perspective, Dead Space 2 is not light-years above its predecessor, but it is a gorgeous and heavily polished game. Every creature is exquisitely and grotesquely detailed with some of the most beautiful polygons that players have ever seen. The animations are rich and fluid; though none of these monsters exist in the real world, you could all but fool the average player into thinking otherwise. They are so realistic and creepy that they practically jump right out of the screen. Thankfully, they don't actually do that. You are safe hiding behind the safety of your 40-inch flat screen. But don't be surprised if you find yourself jumping out of your seat as you run for cover, or die by the hands of a monster that seems nearly impossible to defeat. That, however, is the beauty of the genre, and especially the beauty of Dead Space 2. It's a game that defies reality, and makes the player believe in its scare tactics whether he wants to or not.